What Took You So Long?
by da-angel729
Summary: Remus tries to ask Tonks on a date, but something is stopping him. Fall, OotP.


**Author's Note: **Written for the "All Hallows Moon Jumble" at **metamorficmoon** at LiveJournal with the following prompts: _Day of Cowardice_, _Slug Vomiting Charm_, _Gen_, _picture of kitchen_. As always, con crit and feedback is appreciated!

--

**What Took You So Long?**

"My cousin thinks you're hot."

"What?" A plate dropped to the ground and shattered. Sirius Black, smirking, waved his wand, and the plate repaired itself. With another wave, it landed back in the sink.

"Moony, my cousin, Tonks, thinks that you are attractive. I have no idea why, but she mentioned it in passing."

"In passing?" Remus Lupin queried, his forehead creasing slightly. People had never _just_ mentioned anything to Sirius without some sort of motivation, and Sirius' motivation, especially these days, was usually…_Damn_.

"You got her drunk, and she told you that," Remus clarified, turning back to the sink where he had been washing dishes without magic. He had told Molly that the kitchen would be clean before she and Arthur came over to Grimmauld Place for dinner, so he was cleaning. Well, he _had_ been, before Sirius came in and dropped his bomb.

Sirius leaned against the counter, all innocence. "Did I say that? I don't believe I did."

Remus sighed. "Sirius, I have known you long enough to know that alcohol is your favourite persuasion technique. I fall for it, too." Including the one time he had mentioned he found Tonks attractive. "Why would this time be any different?"

"What does it matter anyway? You think she's attractive, and now we know that she thinks you are too," Sirius pointed out, moving to the table and sitting down. "What are you going to do now?"

"Now," Remus said, "I am going to finish washing the dishes." He turned back to the sink, noticing that Sirius remained at the kitchen table, snacking on the muffins Molly had brought over a few nights ago.

With Sirius right behind him, Remus could not stop thinking about what Tonks had said. She thought he was 'hot', and though he was wrong for her on so many levels, not the least of which was the fact he was a werewolf, he wanted to be involved with her.

"I think you should ask her on a date," Sirius said, apparently not content with the silence in the kitchen.

"I don't know, Sirius," Remus looked up. "I'm not very good at asking girls on dates."

"It's easy, you just ask them, 'May I take you to dinner?' or maybe on a picnic or something like that. In fact, I think you should do it today."

"Today? I need a plan, a place to take her, why would she want to, I can't?"

"Coward." Sirius grinned, and Remus knew it was at his expense. "You're not even speaking in complete sentences anymore. So, just do it. I'll even make myself scarce so you can."

Before Remus could answer, Sirius stood up and moved to the door. "Just because she finds me attractive doesn't mean she wants to date me!"

"It usually does, Moony." With a wink, Sirius was gone, leaving Remus alone in the kitchen, trying to convince himself he didn't really want to ask Tonks on a date.

--

The door to the library was open, an unusual occurrence unless he was in it. The only other person who used the library regularly was Tonks.

Remus moved to the door and sure enough, Tonks was sitting, legs tucked underneath her, in his favourite chair. Sun was shining through the windows, emphasising the shabbiness of the large rugs scattered over the floor. She was reading a book that he thought was one of her favourites by a Muggle writer he could never remember, though he was pretty sure it was Nora something.

Remembering what Sirius had said, Remus walked into the room, a little unsure of himself but wanting to try to get the courage to ask her on a date.

"Hello, Nymphadora," he said, sitting down in a chair across from her.

"Don't call me Nymphadora," she replied automatically, looking up from her book and smiling at him. "Hello, Remus. Are you done with the kitchen or looking for more help? Sirius told me you kicked him out."

"Oh, I'm done," Remus said, wondering if Sirius had told her anything else and finding himself at a loss for words. How was he going to be able to ask her out on a date if he could not even speak? He took a deep breath and steeled himself.

"Tonks, I was wondering…" he trailed off as she looked at him, losing his nerve, "… if you know what Molly is going to cook for dinner?"

He thought her face fell slightly, though she was laughing. "Arthur didn't say, but I'm sure it will be delicious."

"Yeah, I'm sure," Remus said. He could hear Sirius laughing in his head, and stood up. "Well, I'll see you at dinner?"

"Yeah, Remus," Tonks said. "I wouldn't miss it."

--

"Remus, what is the matter? You've been sitting there staring at the table for ten minutes."

Remus looked up to find Molly Weasley staring at him from her place by the stove. There was an enormous pot of some delicious smelling sauce bubbling on the stove, and a potato peeler was working over by the sink.

"It's not important, Molly," he said, picking up the cup of tea sitting in front of him. "Just a little issue I need to deal with.

"I don't know that Tonks would want to be called a little issue," Molly said, stirring the sauce as he took a drink from his cup.

Remus choked, and Sirius entered the kitchen just in time to pound him on the back. "Good evening, Molly. Dinner smells delicious."

"Thank you, Sirius," Molly said, smiling at him. "Remus was going to explain to me why he hasn't asked Tonks to dinner yet."

Remus groaned and put his head in his hands. Did everyone in the Order know he was attracted to Tonks? It was embarrassing, especially in someone his age. But Sirius had said Tonks thought he was attractive. Maybe it was not one-sided. "I tried earlier, but I couldn't do it. It was awful. I actually asked her if she knew what you were making, because she could have gotten that information from Arthur at work. I'm horrible with women, Molly. Sirius knows this, from personal experience."

"Oh, yes," Sirius grinned. "Poor Moony. He tried to ask a girl to Hogsmeade for Valentine's Day and threw up all over her. It was completely embarrassing, but also hilarious. At least she forgave him. It's nice to know he's still a coward."

"I am not a coward," Remus protested half-heartedly. He remembered going to the library with every intention of asking Tonks to dinner and asking about the dinner Molly was cooking. Several times over the past few months he had started to ask her to dinner but then could not finish his sentence. Damn. Sirius was right. He _was_ a coward. He had not managed, in ten tries, to ask Tonks out.

Remus stood up, nearly knocking the chair over. Molly and Sirius stared at him as he left the kitchen. "I'll prove I'm no coward. Just wait and see!"

--

Remus entered the parlour, where Arthur and Tonks were sitting, talking about an event at work. Molly had banished them from the kitchen, saying she wanted peace and quiet.

"That poor Muggle," Arthur was saying, "had no idea why he kept vomiting slugs. His son, aged six, had managed to inadvertently cast the Slug-Vomiting Charm. You know, Ron's done that, too, in second year. You should ask him about it."

"I wish I could have seen the man's face," Tonks said, laughing. "It sounds like a normal day in the office for you."

"Excuse me, Arthur, but I was wondering if I could borrow Tonks for a moment? I'll bring her right back."

"Don't rush on my account," Arthur said cheerfully as Tonks stood up. She followed him into the hallway, looking adorably confused.

"Tonks, would you go to lunch with me, next Thursday? I know it's your day off."

Remus started to reconsider his question while she stood there, staring at him. Maybe Sirius had only been joking when he said Tonks found him attractive. This was a mistake, and any minute now, Tonks would…

"I'd love to, Remus." Tonks said, smiling brilliantly at him.

"Really?"

"Yes," Tonks said. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Yes, of course."

"What took you so long?"


End file.
